Relockable tray



United States Patent O 3,252,648 RELOCKABLE TRAY Ronald V. Johnson,Bloomington, Minn., assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, St.Paul, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Sept.,10, 1964, Ser. No.395,507 Claims. (Cl. 229-34) This invention relates to an improvement inrelockable tray and deals particularly with a -tray structure which maybe set up and collapsed into at form when desired.

Trays are used in packaging and handling of a wide variety of products,For example, bread, buns, and other bakery items are oftentimesdelivered from the bakery to a store in such trays. Canned goods areoftentimes handled in trays and also oftentimes displayed in trays.Suits and other clothing are often packed in telescoped containerscomprising two trays in telescoped relation. Trays of this type areoften provided in flat form and are set up for use. It is quiteimportant that trays of this type be set up in a minimum amount of time.

-T rays used for bakery products are often reused. After the productshave been delivered, the trays are oftentimes disassembled bydisconnecting the corner flaps or by other means and refolded into atform. With many types of corner locks, diticulty is experienced inunlocking the trays and the locks oftentimes become bent or damaged inattempting to unfold the tray by unlocking the locks. It is an object ofthe present invention to provide a tray which may be locked quickly andeasily, and which may be unlocked just asquickly and easily when it isdesired to do so.

One type ot traywhich has been commonly produced lies in a constructionin which side and end walls are hingedly connected to a` bottom panel,and corner flaps are hingedly connected to the ends of both side Walls.The corner aps are folded inwardly of the end walls in erecting thetray, and an end wall lining panel, hinged to the upper edge of each endwall, is folded inwardly of theA corner aps to hold these aps in place.Suitable means are 'then employed for holding the end wall lining panelsin position. Usually, a flange is hinged to the lower edge of each endwall lining panel, and a lock is provided on the bottom panel to engageand hold the lining panels in place. The main diiculty with suchconstruction lies in the fact that the locks are not particularlypositive, and do not always serve their intended purpose. Furthermore,if the locks are made more positive, the trays are more difficult to setup and more diicult to disassemble without injury to the locks.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a tray ofthis same general type in which the end walls are provided with end walllining panels which are folded down inwardly for corner flaps to holdthe tray erect. However, to hold the lining panels in place, a pair ofgenerally triangular areas is provided at the juncture between the endsof the side walls and the ends of the bottom panel. One side of thetriangular areas is defined by a cut line extending generally along thefold lines connecting the end walls to the bottom panel and connectingthe corner aps to the side walls. Accordingly, by applying a slightinward pressure to these triangular areas, they may be folded inwardlyto form abutments which act to positively lock the end wall liningpanels in position. By applying an outward pressure to the same areas,the triangular areas may be folded back into the plane of the panels inwhich they are formed, thus removing the abutment and allowing the endwall liner panels to be unfolded.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention willbe more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification andclaims.

3,252,648 Patented May 24, 1966 ice In the drawings forming a part ofthe specication:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the tray in erected form.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective View of a corner of the tray in partiallyerected-form.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of one end ofthe tray.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective detail on an enlarged scale showing one of thelocking abutments in locking position.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of the blank from which the tray isformed.

With reference to FIGURE 5 of the drawings, the tray A includes arectangular bottompanel 10 which is hingedly connected along parallelfold lines 11 to side walls 12. The bottom panel 10 is also connectedalong fold lines 13, which intersect the fold lines 11 at right angles,to end walls 14. The end walls 14 are foldably connected along widescores or double fold lines 15 to end wall liner panels 16.

Corner tlaps 17 are foldably connected to the ends of the side walls 12along fold lines 19 which are substantially aligned with the fold lines13. The various walls are so proportioned that the corner aps 17 may befolded inwardly of the end walls 14, and the end wall liner panels 16may fold inwardly of the corner aps to hold the side walls erect. FIGURE2 of the drawings is illustrative of the manner in which the panels 14and 16 may be folded to enclose the corner llaps 17.

A diagonal fold line 20 extends from a point 21 near each end of eachfold line 11 spaced a short distance from the ends 13 of the bottompanel 10 to a point 22 on each adjoining fold line 19, a predetermineddistance from the fold line 11. A second diagonal score line 23 extendsacross each corner of the bottom panel 10 from the point 21 to a point24 on the fold line 13 spaced from the fold line 11. A cut line 25extends between the points 22 and 24. If desired, each cut line 25 maybe spaced inwardly of the aligned fold lines 13 and 19 to allow for thethickness of the paperboard.

FIGURE 2 of the drawings illustrates the tray in a partially set upcondition, and it is understood that the end wall liner panel 16 will befolded down inwardly of the corner flaps 17. When the liner llap 16 isin place, inward pressure is applied to the triangular areas near thecenter of the cut line 25. This causes the two similar triangular areasto ex inwardly into the position indicated in FIGURE 4, the edges of thetriangular areas along the cut line 25 forming an abutment 26, whichsecurely locks the end wall liner panel in place.

It is recognized that the construction described produces a tray inwhich the corners of the bottom panels are iiexed inwardly, and that thetray is deformed to some extent at these points. However, for manypurposes, this deformation is not any disadvantage, and the slightdisadvantage in appearance is more than compensated for by the ease withwhich the tray is set up.

When it is desired to fold the tray back into flat form, it is onlynecessary to apply pressure along the portion of the fold line 11separating the two triangular areas to fold these triangular areas backinto the plane' of the sidewall and bottom panel as indicated in FIGURE2. When these corner areas have been snapped back in this position, theliner panels 16 are free to unfold and the tray may be folded back intoflat form.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principlesof construction and operation of my relockable tray; and while I haveendeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of thefollowing claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

3 I: claim: 1. Arelock-able ytray including a sheet of paper-board cutand creased to provide:

a substantially rectangular bottom panel,

side wall panels hingedto. opposite side edges ofsaid bottom. panel,

end wall panels hinged yto opposite ends of said bottom panel,

corner aps connected to the ends of said side Wall panels and adaptedyto` fold. against the inner surfaces of said end wall panels,

end wall liner panels hinged to the upper edges of said end wallsandadapted to fold inwardly of said corner flaps,.

diagonally extending fold lines extending. fromva rst point spaced lfromeach corner of said bottom panel and on the lines of .fold connectingsaid bottom panel tosaid side wall panels toy a second point adjacent tothe. fold lines connecting saidbottom panel to said end wall panels,

diagonallyextending fold lines extending upwardly in said side wallpanels fromsaid rst pointsto third points adjoining the fold linesconnecting said corner aps to said side .wa1ls,.and.

a cut line connectingthel said second points .andthey adjacent thirdpoints, wherebysaid diagonal fold lines and said fold'lines connectingsaid botom panel to said side wall panelsI dene triangular areas whichvmaybe forced inwardly to provide abutments for'1ockingsaidend Wallliner panels in place.

2. A relockable tray including asheetof paper-boardV cut and creased toprovide:

a substantially rectangular bottom panel,

side wall panels hinged to opposite side edges of .saidL bottomv panel,

end wall panelshinged to opposite ends of said bottom` panel, cornerflaps connectedio the ends vof said side wall panels and adapted tolfold against the inner surfaces;

of said end wall panels,

. end wall vliner panels hinged to the upper edges of said the sides ofsaid end wall -liner panelsto holdsaid liner panelsagainst-.said cornerflaps,

each-said abutment including a pair of triangular areas` on oppositesides of the lines of fold connecting said bottom panel to said sidewall panels and extendingv areas are substantially equal in area.

4. A relockable tray` including asheet of'paper-board cut and creased toprovide:

a substantially rectangular bottoml panel,

sidezwall panels hinged to opposite side edges of said bottom panel, endwall panelshinged to opposite ends of said bottom panel,

corner aps connected tothe end'of said side wall panelsand adaptedtofold against theLinner surfacesV of said end wall panels,

end wall liner-panels hinged to the upper edges of said.

end walls and adaptedtofold-.inwardlyof said;cor ner aps,

an abutment formed adjacent toeachA co-rnerfofsaid?V bottompanel.y andengageablewith said end wall.-`

liner panels' to hold. the-same.; against said corner flaps,

each said labutmenbincluding; a pair of righttriangular-v,y areas onopositesides of the lines*oflfoldconnectinggg said bottom panel tosaidside wall panels,

the .triangular areas .having favcommon apex-f and being@ dened byan endportion of onelof ,saidlast men. tioned lines of .fold,` a cutilineintersecting said lasta mentioned line of ,.fold, `anda diagonal`foldulineffex.- tending 'frornsaid apex to an end of one-:of'vsaid cutzlines. 5; The structureof claim 4'and in'whicha saidtriangular areasareof equal size;

References Cited byfthe Examiner- UNITEDV STATES .PATENTS 1,744,956' 1/1930 lFischer 229-34; 2,934,250 4/1960 Stotz 229-34` 3,032,254 5/.1962Wilson 229"-37 3,194,395 7/ 1965 Weaver et al.' 229-347 GEORGE. o;RALsToNfPrimmy Examiner;

JOSEPH R. LECLA'IR, VAssistant Examiner.

1. A RELOCKABLE TRAY INCLUDING A SHEET OF PAPER-BOARD CUT AND CREASED TOPROVIDE: A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR BOTTOM PANEL, SIDE WALL PANELSHINGED TO OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL, END WALL PANELSHINGED TO OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL, CORNER FLAPS CONNECTED TOTHE ENDS OF SAID SIDE WALL PANELS AND ADAPTED TO FOLD AGAINST THE INNERSURFACES OF SAID END WALL PANELS, END WALL LINER PANELS HINGED TO THEUPPER EDGES OF SAID END WALLS AND ADAPTED TO FOLD INWARDLY OF SAIDCORNER FLAPS, DIAGONALLY EXTENDING FOLD LINES EXTENDING FROM A FIRSTPOINT SPACED FROM EACH CORNER OF SAID BOTTOM PANEL AND ON THE LINES OFFOLD CONNECTING SAID BOTTOM PANEL TO SAID SIDE WALL PANELS TO A SECONDPOINT ADJACENT TO THE FOLD LINES CONNECTING SAID BOTTOM PANEL TO SAIDEND WALL PANELS, DIAGONALLY EXTENDING FOLD LINES EXTENDING UPWARDLY INSAID HIDE WALL PANELS FROM SAID FIRST POINTS TO THIRD POINTS ADJOININGTHE FOLD LINES CONNECTING SAID CORNER FLAPS TO SAID SIDE WALLS, AND ACUT LINE CONNECTING THE SAID SECOND POINTS AND THE ADJACENT THIRDPOINTS, WHEREBY SAID DIAGONAL FOLD LINES AND SAID FOLD LINES CONNECTINGSAID BOTOM PANEL TO SAID SIDE WALL PANELS DEFINE TRIANGULAR AREAS WHICHMAY BE FORCED INWARDLY TO PROVIDE ABUTMENTS FOR LOCKING SAID END WALLLINER PANELS.